Call Me
by alaricnomad
Summary: Peter/Claire. Peter’s dedication to the other half of his destiny tears his family apart, and he realizes it too late. ONESHOT.


_Wrap me in a bolt of lightning  
Send me on my way still smiling_

He had practically exploded back into the city with a resounding sonic boom, drowned out by New York traffic, when he landed on the balcony to his family's apartment. He was all smiles and childlike joy when he tapped on the glass, happy to be home.

But apparently, his wife didn't share enthusiasm.

_Maybe that's the way I should go,  
Straight into the mouth of the unknown_

"What are you saying, Claire?"

Thirty-two, his Claire looked barely twenty. But she looked so tired now, so worn out and angry. She was wrapped up in plaid pajamas and a thick robe, but with the way she wrapped her arms around herself, he could tell she was still cold. He longed to reach out to her, warm her with his body heat, but he was ninety-nine percent sure he'd be meant with rejection.

She tilted her chin up, green eyes dark with emotion boring into him. "I can't do this anymore, Peter. You're never home. You're never here when _we_ need you. There's always starving orphans in Africa, a fire in California, or a kitten stuck in a tree somewhere. God forbid you're there for your son's t-ball games, or your daughter's dance recitals. Parent/teacher conferences, doctor's appointments…Dammit, Peter, you missed our baby's birth! I was in that hospital ALONE, and you didn't see him for two weeks."

_I left the spare key on the table  
Never really thought I'd be able to say_

"Claire…"

She held up a hand up to silence him. "No. Be a hero, save the world, but this isn't working anymore." Making her point, she slid two golden bands from her left hand, dropping her rings onto the tabletop.

He stared at them, as they hit the polished wood with a barely audible thud, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Leave your key, Peter. You aren't welcome here. At least for a little while."

_I merely visit on the weekends  
I lost my whole life and a dear friend_

"What about the kids?" he rasped hoarsely, swallowing hard in hopes of dislodging his heart in his throat.

"You can still see them. I won't keep their father from them. We're what's over."

_I finally put it all together,  
But nothing really lasts forever_

He closed his eyes, memories flashing through his mind like a mini-movie screen. Their first kiss, the first time they made love, the night he proposed, the day they were married, Claire telling him she was pregnant for the first time…then the second…and the third…

He had always been so convinced it was destiny that brought them together, that their love was epic, fated to find in each other a perfect soul mate.

He'd destroyed it with his own ignorance and self-indulgence. His own selfishness, thinking he could have the best of both worlds. Both sides of his destiny.

_I had to make a choice that was not mine,  
I had to say goodbye for the last time_

He took in a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy release. Claire was still looking at him expectedly, harsh and unmovable. He gave her the barest hint of a nod, and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, slipping his arms into the worn leather.

"Okay. I'll crash at Nathan's tonight. I'll come back for my stuff next week."

_I kept my whole life in suitcase,  
Never really stayed in one place_

The last fifteen years he had lived from place to place, mission after mission filling his life. Countless lives he had saved, countless disasters he had prevented…and now he couldn't save his own marriage.

_Maybe that's the way it should be,  
You know I live my life like a gypsy_

And on the other side of a bedroom door, their ten-year-old son let his head fall back against the wall, headphones clipped to his ears as the same song played again and again on repeat. Glancing at the bed where his little sister slept, the crib where their baby brother lay, he closed his eyes against his tears, silently mouthing the lyrics.

_Call me a sinner, call me a saint  
Tell me it's over I'll still love you the same  
Call me your favorite, call me the worst  
Tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt  
It's all that I can say. So, I'll be on my way_

_**~~Song credit: "Call Me" by Shinedown ~~**_


End file.
